Electronic communication can be streamlined using data elements to identify specific information portions in the electronic message. The elements are to be used as components of the electronic communication in that they are individually associated with the different categories of information included therein. Using a commonly accepted form of such elements, such as a form adopted by standard or agreed upon between business partners, eliminates some problems or inconsistencies that may otherwise occur. For example, the standard UN/CEFACT Core Components Technical Specification (CCTS) defines Core Components as context-independent data elements to be used as building blocks in such an endeavor. Similarly, the CCTS defines Business Information Entities as context-specific elements.
The CCTS also defines the concept of Dictionary Entry Names (DENs) to be used for Core Components, Business Information Entities, or the data types upon which either of these elements is based. The DENs are based on a natural language—primarily English—such that humans and machines can understand the meaning and logic thereof. The DENs should be carefully chosen to reflect the semantics of each named data element. Particularly, the CCTS prescribes the use of a naming approach defined in the standard ISO 11179-5. The controlled composition of terms provides an assigned meaning (the semantic) of a DEN.
A naming convention such as the ISO 11179 may be simply descriptive; e.g., where an authority that registers the data elements and their names has no control over the formulation of names for a specific context. As another example, a naming convention may be prescriptive, specifying how names shall be formulated, wherein the registering authority (or equivalent) is expected to enforce compliance with the naming convention. A prescriptive naming convention may be implemented to ensure name consistency, a certain name appearance, and reliable name semantics, such that users can infer facts about the definition of the administered items from their respective names. An effective naming convention can also enforce the exclusion of irrelevant facts about the administered item from the name, such as the input source of a data element or its field position in a file.